COAL- History and Accidents

A Brief History of Coal UseCoal is the most plentiful fuel in the fossil family and it has the longest and, perhaps, the most varied history. Coal has been used for heating since the cave man. Archeologists have also found evidence that…Read more>>fe.doe.gov/education

At 10:20 a.m., December 6, 1907, explosions occurred at the No. 6 and No. 8 mines at Monongah, West Virginia. The explosions ripped through the mines at 10:28 a.m., causing the earth to shake as far as eight miles away, shattering buildings and pavement, hurling people and horses violently to the ground, and knocking streetcars off their rails. Three-hundred and sixty-two men and boys died. It remains the worst mine disaster in the history of the United States…Read the entire story>>

From the U. S. Bureau of Mines Report by G. S. Rice- At about 3 p.m. blasts carrying smoke and dust burst out of the main openings. The explosion doors and one side of the fan house were blown out but were repaired in less than 2 hours….Read the entire story>>usminedisasters.com

Cherry Coal Mine-Cherry, Illinois, November 13, 1909Deaths- 259

How it happened:
In November 1909 the St. Paul Coal Company, which owned the mine, employed a total of 481 men and boys. So many of them were from the Streator area that Cherry was known as a Streator “colony.” The mine at Cherry was a large one, considered clean, safe, and well run. ….Read the entire story>>livinghistoryofillinois.com